Allow swiss cheese spread and cream cheese to soften at room temperature. Cream together and set aside. In a pan, melt butter and sugar. Stir in chopped pecans, toast lightly. Slice pears, spread each with swiss cheese and sprinkle with nuts.

*if it is going to be awhile before you serve- soak the pear slices in water with lemon juice to prevent browning.

A while back The Winemaker's Wife at Bonfire Vineyards had a contest for naming their wines. I suggested Slow Burn for their new Port... and this is my prize!I have some pears still in the fridge... I am planning to use my port to poach some pears for a special dessert. Get the camera ready (and some spoons!)

You know, I weighed 98 pounds soakin' wet before I started blogging. Then I came upon all these recipes and the hips started getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Today, I am a moose. Thank you very much. I hope you're happy.

Oh all right! I'm lying. I am. I haven't weighed 98 pounds since 1973. Sorry. Just feels better to blame great cooks like you for my arse troubles. (yeah, I'm ashamed of myself. I'm headed to the freezer to get my Rocky Road ice cream so I can go sit in a corner and contemplate the error of my ways. And then I'm gonna go back to checking out all these beautiful recipes...)

Hey, Sandi, you've been eating a lot since I've been by last. That Parisian feast looks wonderful...yummmo! Love all that girlie food. Happy Birthday to your friend...I hit that one last year...ugghhhh!

About Us

Our family owned the Irondale cafe for many years...or more like it, it owned us! This is the very same cafe that was the basis of the novel that Fannie FLagg wrote.
Bill grew up around the railroad; both my dad and granddad were rail men. I was an engineer with Norfolk Southern before coming home to help at the cafe.
Now I stay busy with WhistleStop Products, shipping to Mom & Pop's across the country. Sandi, my wife, helps with the business when she is not working at her 'real job', as a Nurse Practitioner. We are always working on new products, cookbooks, and recipes!